If you have ever played a sport, you know the potential impact of a coach. If you have ever struck out or missed a goal, you know the feeling of defeat. If you have ever been inspired by a look or a comment at the exact moment you felt defeat, then you are lucky enough to have known a coach like Coach McCarthy. The sad thing is that so many coaches come in and out of our lives and it is hard to realize the print they have placed on our lives; it’s so easy to overlook the dedication, the heart a coach puts into his or her job. This is true of many athletes, but not for the members of the softball team and all of those close to them.
On Saturday, April 1, Coach John P. McCarthy Jr. passed away due to colon cancer. McCarthy traveled to the Methodist Tournament in North Carolina on March 3, and upon return went straight to the hospital, where he lost his life a month later. When death occurs it is important to remember the life he led; the lives he helped give to his six children; the lives he made better, simply by being a part of it.
Diagnosed with colon cancer just last summer, you would never have known the pain McCarthy suffered in the past year. His pain wasn’t obvious when he hit fly balls to the outfield. His discomfort wasn’t apparent when he showed his support at every basketball game. His life, that was so quickly ticking away, was never put on hold. His love for the game made him a coach. His love for the team made him an inspiration. McCarthy was not a coach who drilled technique, he was a coach who emphasized the importance of faith and confidence one needs to be a player, a friend, a teammate. It is an amazing person who can have such a powerful impact in peoples’ lives even after his death. The women on the team learned about dedication and the true meaning of a friend while he was alive, and now they are learning to take advantage of every moment of every day.
They have learned the true meaning of the word coach. As we go through life it is important to remember the people who made a difference in our lives. It is crucial that we recognize it right away and say "Thank you. Thank you for the wonderful things you have taught me and thank you for your dedication to me." McCarthy lived for the smile "his girls" gave him when he told a joke or a story from the past. He lived for the moment an entire team could realize the sole reason for playing was for their love of the game.